3.1 Data on participation in community education in 1996-97 was collected over two survey weeks. These survey weeks, one in each of the latter two quarters of the year, were chosen at the convenience of the local authorities. Figures for both survey weeks were provided by all local authorities. However two authorities were not able to provide figures in every category of the return. One authority could not provide figures for the total number of pre-school age participants receiving substantial educational support and the other could not supply figures for the total number of pre-school age participants receiving educational and/or administrative support. These figures have been estimated.

3.2 The definitions of groups, participants and levels of support used in this bulletin are given in the Annex (see note 5). It is likely that there is some inconsistency in the interpretation of these definitions, both within and among local authorities. In addition it should be noted that the number of participants is calculated as the number of attendances in the survey weeks. As a result, some individuals will have been counted more than once. The number of participants excludes casual contacts, for example listeners to local community radio.

3.3 There were 509,886 participants in 29,475 groups in community education in an average week in 1996-97. The average number of participants per group was 17 for children, 20 for youths and 15 for adults.

3.4 Around 7 per cent of the total number of participants in an average week were pre-school age children, 16 per cent were primary school age children, 26 per cent were youths and 51 per cent were adults.

3.5 The 509,886 participants in community education in an average survey week in 1996-97 accounted overall for 99 per thousand of the population in the areas concerned. This overall participation rate takes no account of the variation created by local targeting, which may result in considerably higher participation rates in local areas for specific sectors of the population.

3.6 Groups and participants are classified in these statistics according to their degree of support from and involvement with community education staff. Thus where staff were involved with the group for 50 per cent of the time, or for at least 10 hours over a three month period, this was classified as 'substantial educational support'. Participants in such groups were further classified as to whether they themselves were in direct contact with community education staff. Groups and participants not receiving 'substantial educational support' were termed as receiving 'educational/administrative support'.

Participants receiving substantial educational support by type, 1996-97 (1)
Table 3

3.7 A total of 215,316 participants were in receipt of 'substantial educational support'. 146,948 of these were in direct contact with community education staff. This accounts for around 68 percent of the total number of participants receiving substantial educational support.

3.8 Almost half (48 per cent) of youth participants were in receipt of substantial educational support. Similarly the proportion of children receiving substantial educational support was roughly 47 per cent. However for adults the percentage was lower, with only 37 per cent of participants receiving substantial educational support. See Table 4 for actual figures.

3.9 A total of 29,529 groups participated in community education in the financial year 1996-97. Of these 12,641 groups received substantial educational support and 16,888 groups received educational and/or administrative support. This means that roughly 42 per cent of all groups were in receipt of substantial educational support.

3.10 Only 38 per cent of the 16,233 adult groups were in receipt of substantial educational support, whereas 50 per cent of pre-school age groups, 49 per cent of primary school age groups and 48 per cent of youth groups were receiving substantial educational support.